VER 
*The two American forts are at prefent rare in the Eng- 
liili gardens, but, as they hardy enough to thrive in 
the open air; in a few years they may become plenty •, 
thefe may be propagated by offsets or feeds, in the 
fame manner as the former. 
f ERBASCUM. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 14 6. tab. 61 . 
Lin. Gen. Plant. 217. Mullein ; in French, Bouillon. 
Mane. 
The Characters are,. 
"The flower has a J mail permanent empalement of one 
leafy cut into five parts ; it hath one wheel-fhaped petals 
with a very fhort cylindrical tube, the brim fpreading , 
and cut into five oval obtufe fegments, and five awl-jhapsd 
flamina which are fhorter than the petal , terminated by 
roundiffjy comprefijed, eredt fummits ; with a roundifh ger- 
mcn fupporting a flender fiyle inclining to the Jlaminay 
crowned by a thick obtufe fligma. Yhe germen afterward 
' becomes a roundifh capfule with two cells opening at the topy 
having a half oval receptacle fixed to the partition, and 
filled with angular feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fe&ion of 
Linnaeus’s fifth clafs, which includes thole plants 
whofe flowers have five ftamina and one fiyle. 
The Species are, 
t. Ve.rbascum (Thapfus) foliis decurrentibus utrinque 
tomentofis. Vir. Cliff. 13. Mullein with running leaves 
which are woolly on both fides. Verbafcum mas latifo- 
liumluteum. C. B. P. 239. Great white Mullein , Hig 
' Taper, or Cow’s Lungwort. 
2. Verbascum {Lychnitis) foliis euneiformi-oblongis. 
Hort. Upfal. 45. Mullein with oblong wedge-fhaped 
leaves. Verbafcum pulverulentum, fiore luteo par- 
vo. J. B. Hoary Mullein with fmall yellow flowers. 
3. Verbascum {Album) foliis cordato-oblongis, fubtus 
incanis, fpicis racemofis. Mullein with oblong heart- 
fhaped leaves which are hoary on their under fide , and 
branching fpikes of flowers. Verbafcum femina, fiore 
albo. G. B. P. 23,9. Female Mullein with a white 
flower. 
4. Verbascum {Luteim) foliis radicalibus ovatis peti- 
olatis, caulinis oblongis feffilibus fubtus tomentofis 
ferratis. Mullein , with oval lower leaves growing on foot- 
ftalks, but tbofe on the fialks oblong , fawedy woolly on 
their under fide , and fitting clofie. Verbafcum blattarite 
foliis nigrum, amplioribus foliis luteis, apicibus pur- 
purafeentibus. Flor. Leyd. Boerh. Ind. alt. 1. 228. 
Mullein with black Mullein leaves , large yellow petals to 
the flowery and purple fummits. 
5. Verbascum ( Grandifiorum ) foliis ovato-acutis utrinque 
tomentofis, floribus in fpica denfiffima feffilibus. Hal- 
ler. Helvet. 507. Mullein with oval acute-pointed 
leaves which are woolly on both fides , and flowers difpofed 
in thick fpikes fitting clofe to the fialk. Verbafcum 
fmmina, fiore luteo magno. C. B» P. 239. Female 
Mullein with a large yellow flower. 
6. Verbascum ( Nigrum ) foliis ferratis fuperne rugofis, 
inferne fubhirfutis, petiolis ramofis, ftaminum barba 
purpurafeente. Haller. Helvet. 51 1. Mullein with 
jawed leaves whofe upper fides are rough , thofe on the un- 
der fide hairy , branching foot-jialksy and purplijh beards 
to the ftamina. Verbafcum nigrum, fiore ex luteo- 
purpurafeente. C. B. P. 240. Black Mullein with a 
yellcwifh purple flowery commonly called Sage-leaved black 
Mullein. 
f. Verbascum ( S'inuatum ) foliis- radicalibus pinnatifido- 
repandis tomentofis, caulinis amplexicaulibus nudiuf- 
culis, rameis primis oppofitis. Lin. Sp. 2 54. Mullein 
whofe tinder leaves are wing-pointedy woolly , and turn 
backy the upper naked , embracing the fialks, and the firft 
branches are oppofite. Verbafcum nigrum, folio papa- 
veris corniculati. C. B. P. 240. Black Mullein with a 
horned Poppy leaf , 
S.Verbascum ( Glabrum ) foliis amplexicaulibus oblongis 
glabris pedunculis folitariis. Hort. Upfal. 46. Mullein 
'with oblong fmooth leaves embracing the fialks, and fingle 
foot-ftalks to the flowers. Blattaria alba. C. B. P. 241. 
tVhite Moth Mullein. 
9. Verbascum (. Blattaria ) foliis radicalibus pinnato- 
fmuatis, caulinis dentatis acuminatis femi-amplexicau- | 
VER 
libus, pedunculis folitaris. Mullein with the lower 
leaves jagged like wings , thofe on the fialks acute-pointed , 
; indent edy half embracing the fialks , and fingle foot fialks 
to the flowers. Blattaria lutea, folio longo, laciniato. 
C. B. P. 240. Yellow Moth Mullein with a long jagged 
leaf. 
, 10. Verbascum {Ferrugincum) foliis ovato-oblongis ob~ 
folete crenatis, utrinque virentibus petiolatis, caule 
ramofo. Mullein with oblong oval leaves having obfolete 
crenatureSy and both fides greeny with a Hunching fialk . 
Blattaria fiore ferrugineo. H. R. Par. Moth Mullein 
with an iron-coloured flower. 
* 1 1. Verbascum {Amuurn) foliis radicalibus oblongis 
integerrimis, utrinque viridibus, caulinis acutis fefil- 
libus, pedunculis aggregatis. Mullein with oblong , en- 
tire, lower leaves which are green on both fides, thofe on 
the fialks acutc-pointed , fitting clofe, and duftered foot- 
Jialks. Blattaria annua, fiore majore luteo, capful a 
item majore. Mor. Hift. 2. p. 498. Annual Moth 
Mullein with a larger yellow flower, and a larger capfule. 
12. Verbascum {Phcenicium) foliis ovatis crenatis radi- 
calibus, caule fubnudo racemofo. Lin. Sp. Plant. 178. 
Mullein with naked, oval, crenated, lower leaves, and an 
almojl naked branching fialk. Blattaria purpurea. C. 
B. P. 2 41. Purple Moth Mullein. 
13. Verbascum 1 ( Myconi ) foliis lanafis radicalibus, fca- 
po nudo. Lin. Sp. Plant. 1 79. Mullein with woolly 
lower leaves , and a naked [talk. Verbafcum humile 
Alpinum villofurn borraginis fiore & folio. Tourn. 
Inft. 147. Low, Id'airy, Alpine Mullein, with the leaf 
and flower of Borage , commonly called Borage-leaved Au- 
ricula. 
The firft is the common Mullein or Hig Taper which 
is ufed in medicine ; this grows naturally by the fide 
of highways and on banks in moft parts of England 5 
it is a biennial plant, which perifhes foon after it has 
perfected feeds. The lower leaves, which fpread on 
the ground, are nine or ten inches long, and fix broad ; 
they are very woolly, and of a yellowhh white colour, 
having fcarce any foot-ftalks. The (talk rifes four or 
five feet high, and the lower part is garnifhed with 
leaves ffiaped like thofe below, but fmaller, whofe 
bafe half embrace the ftalk, and have wings running 
along the ftalk from one to the other. The upper 
part of the ftalk is clofely garnifhed with yellow 
flowers, fitting very clofe, formed into a long thick 
fpike; thefe are compofed of five obtufe' roun ' fli 
petals, having five ftamina in the censer ; they have 
an agreeable odour! It flowers injury, and the feeds 
ripen in autumn. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in feme parts of Eng- 
land ; I have obferved it in plenty in feme parts of 
Nottinghamfhire : this is a biennial plant. The lower 
leaves are oblong, indented on their edge , ind end 
in acute points. The ftalk rifes three or four feet high, 
fending out from every joint lhort fpikes of finall yel- 
low flowers, which are paler than thofe of the firft, 
and have a pleafanter odour. At the bafe of each 
fpike is fituated a fmall, oblong, acute-pointed leaf ; 
thefe are covered with a white powder which wafhes 
off. When the flowers decay, they are fucceeded by 
oval capfules, filled with fmall feeds, which ripen in 
autumn. 
The third fort grows naturally in Italy and Spain, 
The lower leaves of this are more than a foot long, 
and five or fix inches broad, rough on their upper 
fide, and a little hoary ; their under fide is pale and 
very hoary. The ftalk rifes fix or leven feet high, 
fending out fome fide branches which are ered ; the' 
flowers are difpofed in long fpikes which are branched 
they are white, and fometimes yei ow, having the 
moft agreeable feent of all the fpecies- This flowers 
about the fame time with the former, and the leeds 
ripen in autumn. 
The fourth fort has oval leaves- a foot long, and fix 
inches broad in the middle, Handing upon thick foot- 
ftalks ; they are of a foft texture, of a pale green 
on their upper fide, but hoary on their under, having 
many prominent nerves. The ftalk rifes three or four 
